The present invention is related to the field of optical fiber technology, and more particularly, to optical fiber end support structures.
In fiberoptic networks, light signals are transmitted along optical fibers to transfer information from one location to another. Although the propagation of light signals on optical fibers is analogous to the transmission of electronic data along metal wires, entering a light signal into an optical fiber is somewhat more problematic than the electrical coupling of a wire.
Electrical signals which are sent along a wire naturally propagate to and from equipment which is electrically coupled to that wire. However, a light signal must be accurately entered into or monitored from an optical fiber. Such optical fibers are very small in cross-section, and typically have a fairly narrow acceptance angle within which light entering the fiber must fall in order to propagate along the length of the fiber. Therefore, any system which inputs light into an optical fiber must deliver its light with precise alignment. The input alignment requirements of single-mode optical fibers are particularly stringent, as their core diameters are typically as small as 2 to 10 .mu.m.
In present day optical networks, light signals are typically produced by laser diodes. Typical lasing areas in such diodes are 4.mu. wide by 0.1.mu. thick with a wide emission angle, some 12.degree. by 40.degree., which is much larger than the acceptance angle of the optical fiber. Furthermore, the laser diode output facet must typically be separated from the optical fiber tip (input) in order to avoid damage to both the fiber tip and the laser diode due to thermal expansion. Thus the requirement for alignment accuracy between the laser diode and the optical fiber tip is critically high. Alignment uncertainties should be less than 0.1-0.2.mu..
Coupling a laser diode with an optical fiber, sometimes referred to as "pigtailing" a laser diode, often involves rigidly affixing the position and orientation of an end of an optical fiber with an independent support structure or "clip." Fiberoptic end support clips are simple structures which hold the end of the optical fiber in a fixed position relative to some mount surface. Unfortunately, known clips generally provide insufficient rigidity to maintain the precise alignment between the optical fiber and a separately supported laser diode or other optical device. Furthermore, alignment of the optical fiber with the laser diode prior to affixing their relationship can be problematic, particularly where the clip does not easily allow adjustments to the position of the end and orientation of the optical fiber.
For the above reasons, it is desirable to provide improved clips for supporting the end of an optical fiber with a greater rigidity than is available from known optical fiber support structures. It would further be desirable if such clips facilitated the alignment of optical fibers, particularly single-mode optical fibers, with a laser diode or other optical device.